February 5, 2009

Test Spin: The Fray

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The Fray’s new album The Fray is just as lackluster as its title. The band became famous following the playing of their hit song “How to Save a Life” on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, and their debut CD, How to Save a Life, included other hit songs such as “All at Once” and “Over my Head.” While I enjoyed that album, the new CD left me disappointed and unimpressed. Here, The Fray has a Coldplay-esque sound, but most of the songs sound identical to one another and the lyrics are pretty dull. The album isn’t overly exciting, although some of the songs are catchy and easy to listen to. The opening track, “Syndicate,” features nice use of the guitar and piano and a good chorus. The third song, “You Found Me,” which has been popular on the radio recently, has simplistic lyrics, even if the overall orchestration gives it a nice, catchy sound. Finally, “Never Say Never” is very slow and repetitive, but happens to be one of my favorite songs because it shows off the band’s instrumental abilities. Overall, the album has a nice, melodic sound, but pretty tacky lyrics. If you want a nice CD to listen to on a long drive or to play in the background while you study (and don’t care about the words) then I would recommend the Fray’s new album The Fray. Otherwise, steer clear.